During the ceremony, Lady Antebellum’s Own the Night claimed the Grammy for country album of the year — the only county category presented on the show. Swift’s awards for best country song and best country solo performance, both for “Mean,”
were handed out in a separate ceremony prior to the formal ceremony.

Meanwhile, Campbell received a lifetime achievement award with endearing musical tributes from a new generation of country stars. The Band Perry delivered an acoustic rendition of “Gentle on My Mind” and Blake Shelton delivered a strong “Southern Nights,” while Swift gave a sweet introduction. When Campbell stepped out onstage, he commanded the audience’s attention on an enjoyable rendition of his signature hit, “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Campbell, who has Alzheimer’s, received the lifetime achievement Grammy on Saturday.

Swift performed “Mean” during the show, introduced by a folk-influenced duo the Civil Wars. During the pre-telecast event, the Civil Wars picked up Grammys for best country duo/group performance for “Barton Hollow”
as well as folk album of the year for the album of the same title.

Alison Krauss & Union Station and Levon Helm were also among the early winners in country-related categories.

Krauss and her band won in the bluegrass album category for Paper Airplane. The project also resulted in an Grammy for best engineered non-classical album for recording engineers Neal Cappellino and Mike Shipley and mastering engineer Brad Blackwood.

Helm, who came to prominence in the late ’60s as a member of The Band, received best Americana album honors for Ramble at the Ryman, a live album recorded at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

In a video montage, the ceremony also recognized prominent music figures who died within the last year, including Wilma Lee Cooper, Hazel Dickens, Dobie Gray and Ferlin Husky, among many others. The segment concluded with Jennifer Hudson’s stellar rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” written by Dolly Parton and offered in tribute to the musical legacy of Whitney Houston.

Adele, the night’s top winner, won six Grammys in all. Her 21 claimed album of the year and pop vocal album. “Rolling in the Deep” earned song of the year, record of the year and short-form music video, and “Someone Like You” received pop solo performance.